Queen-introducing device



Jan. 1, 1924 J. SMITH ET AL QUEEN INTRODUCING DEVICE Filed April 20. 1921 Patented Jan. 1, 1924-.

untrue stares Mm OFFICE.

JAY

SMITH, OF VINCENNES, INDIA NA, AND ERNEST lit/ROOT, OF MEDINA, OHIO.

QUEEN-INTRODUCING DEVICE.

Application fi1ed Apri1 20, 1921. Serial No. 463,065.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAY SMITH and ERNEST R. Roor, residing at Vincennes,

county of -Knox. State of Indiana and Medina, county of Medina, State of Ohio, respectively, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Queen-Introducing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

.Our invention relates to the art ofbee keeping and particularly to the matter of the introduction of queens to hives or colonies, and our object is to enable the introduction of queens to be effected with little or no loss and to do so by a device at once simple and easily manipulated and which will possess other advantages that will be appreciated by those skilled in the art from what follows in this specification. Our invention consists in the introducing means having the oharacterstics of construction described by or included within the language or scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a queen introducing cage embodying our invention when arranged for applicationto comb;

Fig. 2 is a similar view when arranged for shipment;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the device applied to the comb and with a supplemental cage associated therewith for the passage of bees into the introducing cage;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a different embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the reception cage detached.

Our invention pertains to that method of queen introduction which employs a cage that is applied to the side of the comb so that the queen and any escort bees with her may have such contact with the comb as to receive the characteristic colony odor which is necessary to assure the reception of the queen by the colony and which will protect her from the bees of the colony during the time required to prepare her for favorable reception by them. r

The cageshown in the drawings consists of a rectangular frame, 10, whose four sides are of wood in the form of strips nailed together and upon one side of the frame is attached a piece or sheet, 11, of woven wire that covers one side of the frame, side of the frame being open and being the side which is towards or next the comb, so that the queen while within the cage has access to the comb and while visible to the bees and accessible to them for feeding, if they are so disposed, through the meshes of the wire cloth, she cannot be reached by them for balling, which is one of the dangers to which a strange queen in a hive is exposed.

Upon each edge of the frame. 10, at the side next the comb is a strip,"12, of tin or other sheet metal whose outer edge is preferably formed or cut into a series of teeth or sharp points, 13, of a length to penetrate into the comb far enough to assure the secure attachment of the cage to the comb and to prevent the presence of any openings through which bees might pass into the cage to get at the queen. Each strip has an outturned flange, 14, at right angles to the strip and provided with holes for nails, fastening devices by which the strip is attached to the frame. and preferably all four strips are made of a single piece which after the formation of the teeth or points as by means of dies, is bent to the rectangular shape desired. The dimensions of the open frame-like structure which the strips thus made constitute, are such on diametral lines that the strips, point in wards may he slid or telescoped into the open frame, 10, and thus for shipment purposes the sharp points or teeth are guarded so that the exterior of the cage is smooth or free from sharp projections. The arrangement for shipping purposes is shown.

in Fig. 2.

At one'of the shorter ends of the cage the frame sides are extended beyond the cross piece at such end, thus enabling the insertion into such end of one end of a supplemental cage which may be a shipping cage, of well known construction, so that the usual exit hole in the shipping cage may be placed in juxtaposition to a hole or opening, 17, in said frame cross. piece and the queen and any escort bees within the shipping cage may then readily pass'into the introducing cage. When the shipping cage the other at such sid is thus applied to the introducing cage it is maintained in position by the lapping of the projections or extensions of the sides of the frame, 10, alongside the inserted portion of tie shipping cage. L a

To add to the security of the attachment of the cage to the comb, means to support it from falling away from the comb may be provided, such, for example, as the spring finger, 18, attached to the frame, 10, so that the free end of the finger may bear against the comb in an adjacent frame.

I Instead of the usual shipping cage, a special cage constructed substantially the same as a shipping cage is preferably used and which, for convenience, we term a' reception cage and which is shown in Figs. 3 and 5 of the dra ing's', As shown in Fig. 5. the reception cage, 16 has in one of its sides that is exposed when the cage is applied, as shown in Fig'.' 3',' an opening, 19, which, during the introducing process, is reduced in' sizeby aqueen excluder, 20, so that while allowing free passage of the worker bees, will prevent the escape or exit of the queen It will be understood that during shipment or before application of the cage,-16, asshown in' F 3. the hole, 21, leading from the cage, 16, into the introducing cage isclosed with a removable stopper. The hole, 19, having the queen exclu der, 20, is closed to the passage of worker bees, say for two days so that bees belonging to the colony cannot at first enter the enclosure containing the queen? I I WVhile the sheet metal penetrating member preferably has sharp pointsjor teeth for entering the comb, yet, as shown-iii Fig. 4c, no teeth or points may be used, the smooth edges of the sheet metal peneuaung aem ber,120. being sharp enough to readily enter or penetrate the comb. The comb penetrati-ngmember, whetherpf the form shown in Figr or having the teeth or points, extends sufficiently far into the comb as to i ni'pojs'e an obstacle to the bees of the colony gnaw ing through the comb and providing an 7 opening intothe interior of the introducing cage through which the queen mightpre maturely be released. The advantage ef the teeth that when the device ;is applied to the comb the teeth become embedded in the cocoons in the bottom of the cells, and therebyl'he device is securely'anchored.

What we claim is: a r a 1. In a deviceof the kind described, .a cage having on its side that lies next the comb when in use, comb penetrating points that-have sides of substantial area that form an obstacle to bees. J a

2. Ina device of thefkind described, a cage comprising a frame having an open side that is situated next the comb when" in use,v and a series of comb penetrating points e of the frame and projecting cage comprising a frame that is open on the side that lies next the comb when in use, and a sheet metal'str p or strips having a series of serratlonsattachedto the frame at its open side, said serrations providing a series of comb-penetrating points, the ser-v rated portion ofthe s'tripor Stripsand the frame nterior having suchf relative sizes that the serrated portion of the str p or stripsmay be telescoped' into the frame.

In a device of t'he kind described, a...

le i if ia on one'l side, a serrated strip'of sheet metal along each of the four sides of the frame,

and frame-engaging flanges on the strips,

onlone'side, a serrated strip of sheet metal along each of thefour sides of the frame, and frame-engaging flanges on the strips, these serrated portions on p the beinginser'tible within theframe, 7

7511 a device of thekind described, a cage comprising a. frame haying an' open side situatedn'extto the comb when use, and a thin sti'fi" coinb penetrating member projecting frin the open side of such frame and having side surfaces ofextended area that'form's an obstacletobees.

8.' In a device of the kind described, a cage comprising a frame havingan open sidesituated' next to'the coinb when in use, a thin stiff comb penetrating member projecting from the op'n side of such frame, and a spring finger projecting from the outer side of said cage; j Y

9. In a device of the kind described, a cage, a supplemental cage, means'for connecting the two cages with their interiors in communication and, means" for supporting the two'cages upon' the cone. U v

10. In a device of the kind described. a cage, a supplemental cage, and. means for connecting the two ca geswith their interiors in communication, comprising extensions from one cage that overlap a portion of the other cage. a V

11' In a device of the kind described, a cage, a supplemental cage, and means for connectingthe .two cages with theirinterie'rs i'n commiinication, comprising parallel extensions from i tween which a portion of the supplemental cage eiitends.

an ul r rame open are a device of the kind described, a, cage compris ng a rectangular frame open the introducing cage bestrips 12. A queen introducing device having a queen-confining chamber with a passage leading to the outside having queen excluder which permlts the passage of worker bees.

13. A queen introducing device having a queen confining chamber closed on all sides but one, and having a passage leading to the outside with a queen excluder that permits the passage of worker bees, and means for supporting such chamber with the open 1 JAY SMITH. ERNEST R. ROOT. 

